doggerel — verse or words that are badly written or of poor quality, often with irregular rhythm
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: verse or words that are badly written or of poor quality, often with irregular rhythm
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈdɔːɡərəl/
Example Sentences
- His love poem was such terrible doggerel that she burst out laughing instead of crying.
- The newspaper's poetry section was filled with amateur doggerel from hopeful contributors.
- What he called 'deep philosophical verse' was really just pretentious doggerel.
doggerel
NOUN[/ˈdɔːɡərəl/]
verse or words that are badly written or of poor quality, often with irregular rhythm
The poet laughed as he scribbled silly doggerel on a napkin at the pub.
Even the scoundrel and mongrel cringe at his doggerel!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English, derived from 'dog' + the suffix '-rel' (meaning 'little' or 'inferior'). The term literally meant 'dog-like' or 'worthless like a dog,' reflecting the medieval view that dogs were lowly creatures, thus referring to crude, irregular verse.
Breakdown
dog (the animal, considered lowly in medieval times) + -rel (diminutive/pejorative suffix meaning 'little' or 'inferior')
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His love poem was such terrible doggerel that she burst out laughing instead of crying.”
“The newspaper's poetry section was filled with amateur doggerel from hopeful contributors.”
“What he called 'deep philosophical verse' was really just pretentious doggerel.”
“The children's attempt at writing poetry resulted in charming doggerel that made everyone smile.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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